Fiber & Brimstone Review

Carmela Bertrand and her best friend Ava Gruiex are immersed in building a monster puppet for the Monsters and Mayhem Torchlight Parade when they stumble upon the body of Brett Fowler. He was killed by the horn of a gigantic Minotaur head that went through his heart.

Carmela is the owner and operator of the Memory Mine scrapbook shop in the French Quarter. Ava owns Juju Voodoo. Its six days before Halloween and Carmela and Ava are determined to perfect their float that will become part of the New Orleans French Quarter’s gala celebration.

Carmela's good friend Jekyl finds himself at the center of the investigation since he was heard arguing with Brett shortly before Brett's body was discovered. An art appraiser by trade, Jekyl was also one of the premier float designers for Mardi Gras and the designer of the Minotaur. When another death occurs and the victim had ties to Jekyl, the designer becomes the main suspect.

Having known Jekyl for years, Carmela is convinced that someone is deliberately framing him. While Brett owed Jekyl money, he owed money to many people after being indicted for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme. With so many suspects can Carmela discover the real murderer and clear Jekyl?

The lead investigator is none other than Carmela’s boyfriend NOPD Lieutenant Edgar Babcock. Against his instructions, Carmela and Ava decide to find out for themselves who killed Fowler so that they can clear their friend’s name.

In the meantime, Carmela was also tying up loose ends after her recent divorce from Shamus

Fiber & Brimstone is the eighth novel in the Scrapbook Mystery series by Laura Childs following Death Swatch and Tragic Magic. Childs is also the author of the popular Tea Shop Mysteries and Cackleberry Club Mysteries.

As usual with a Laura Childs cozy, the fast-paced storyline keeps readers turning pages far into the night as they seek to find out what the two amateur investigators come up with next. Using post-Katrina New Orleans for a Halloween based story brilliantly provided a strong sense of place.

While the reader assumes the gals get Jekyl off the hook, much of the fun of the story is how they manage to get there. An added bonus of the cozy is the scrapbooking tips and delicious sounding recipes included for interested readers.

A special thank you goes to Berkley Prime Crime for providing a copy of Fiber & Brimstone for review. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, it is available at Amazon.com.